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  • Review: iRig Pro I/O for Smule Sing!

    95%

    “Great audio quality with direct support after the iOS version 6.4.9”

    Buy at Amazon
    Pros:
    • excellent audio quality for recording and playback
    • power supply available (sold separately) which powers the device and can charge your phone
    Cons:
    • expensive

    The iRig Pre has been a highly popular device among Smule singers to use professional microphones with the Sing! app. But since more and more mobile devices now come without an analog headphone socket, the iRig Pre can’t be connected anymore – at least not easily. But IK Multimedia, the makers of the iRig Pre, launched a new series of digital audio adapters: the iRig Pre HD (~US$ 100) and the iRig Pro I/O (~US$ 150). We tested the latter and tell you how it works with Smule. 

    irigproio_ls_vocal.jpg

    Audio Quality

    The iRig Pre I/O and Pre HD provide an studio-quality sound with a 24-bit A/D conversion and a sample rate of up to 96 kHz. There is very little background noise, which can’t be heard anymore after the recording has passed Smule’s audio processing. So you can expect a much better sound than with the iRig Pre or with the usually rather noisy headsets. And since the audio data is delivered digitally to the device, there is no loss of quality anymore through the connection itself and the processing in the phone/tablet. 

    propro.jpg

    Comparision: the iRig Pro and the iRig Pre

    Set-up/Connectivity

    The new digital interfaces are much bigger than the iRig Pre. You can just lay the device on a flat surface or use the included Velcro strip to attach it to mic or phone stand. This works okay, but a more robust way to attach the rather expensive device securely to microphone stands wouldn’t hurt. 

    irigsides.jpg

    The iRig Pro I/O connections and buttons:

    • DC in
      • A power supply unit is not included, but supported. The official one from IK Multimedia can cost you another 40 to 50 dollars, but it will allow you to use the device permanently and even charge your phone! This is a significant advantage of the device. The older iRig Pre only works with batteries and needs a lot of them, especially when used with condenser mics. 
      • If you don’t buy the power supply, you can run the device with two AA batteries. 
    • Device connection
      • The iRig Pro I/O comes with a lightning cable for iOS devices and a USB cable for desktop computers. A cable for Android phones is sold separately. 
      • A nice feature is that the device powers on by connecting it to your phone/tablet/computer. No need to turn it on and off manually all the time!
    • Headphone socket and control
      • You can connect your headphones directly to the iRig Pro I/O. No need for messy splitter solutions if your phone doesn’t have a headphone socket anymore. The output comes directly from your phone/tablet. So it’s not limited to direct mic monitoring, which is a problem of some other digital audio interfaces.   
      • The audio quality of the headphone output is excellent and you can also control the volume directly on the device. 
    • Input
      • At the bottom of the iRig Pro I/O you can connect either a XLR microphone or a line input with a 1/4" jack. 
      • A switch to turn on the 48 V phantom power for condenser mics is on the left side of the device. 
    • Gain
      • To set the output gain, there is a big control dial on the front of the device. 
    • MIDI
      • Smule users who also play electronic instruments can also use the audio interface to send and receive MIDI data. 

    If you buy the iRig Pro I/O and the official power supply unit, you will have to spend around $200. If that is too much for you, you might want to take a look at the iRig Pre HD, which costs around $100. It offers the same audio quality but lacks some of the connection options of the I/O: there is no external power supply, no line input and no MIDI in/out.  

    propre.jpg

    Comparision: iRig Pro I/O (left) and iRig Pre HD (right)

    Using the iRig Pro I/O with the Sing! app

    The iRig Pro I/O was started to be supported with the Sing! app version 6.4.9 on iOS. Before that, it could only be used by routing the audio through other apps. You need to find your perfect gain settings first, but after that, using the iRig Pro I/O is very easy. 

    Conclusion

    The iRig Pro I/O provides excellent audio quality and with the optional power supply unit you can power the audio interface and even your phone/tablet permanently. This makes it a great solution for very active Smule users who are looking for optimal sound quality. It’s also a good interface if your singing is not limited to mobile devices. You can use the iRig Pro I/O for high-quality recordings on your computer as well. 

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    • thank you! 1



    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments

    Tenoreprimo

    Posted

    I just picked this up and it seems to work great but for whatever reason it does not function with the Live Jam feature.  Audio is directed out of the Ipad speakers.

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    ELVIS_USA

    Posted

    I have the iRig mic pre I may have to pay for a 9 volt $1 but for me it's all I need I see no reason spending $160 compared to $40 for the same quality how about you?

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    thusithag67

    Posted (edited)

    I also use an iRig Pre. What is lacking in iRig Pre is own voice monitoring capability. This is very useful when you sing. Other than monitoring your own vocals while singing, everything else works perfectly as expected. I have been using this for couple of years now without any problem. I use a dynamic mic instead of a condenser mic. Battery life has never been a concern for me since it draws very little power when phantom power is not used. 

    Edited by thusithag67

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    CharlieOSingz

    Posted

    Could someone confirm that you can hear your voice (live monitoring) while you sing to the Smule track???

     

    Thank you!

    CharlieOSingz

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    Tenoreprimo

    Posted

    7 minutes ago, CharlieOSingz said:

    Could someone confirm that you can hear your voice (live monitoring) while you sing to the Smule track???

     

    Thank you!

    CharlieOSingz

    Yes

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    Anonybody

    Posted

    Hi,

    If i ise an irig duo just one channel for smule will it work the same as the irig pro?

    The reason i ask is because if i am to invest in irig pro for singing to smule, I may as well pay extra so that i have option to record piano/guitar and vocals at same time to garagaband. 

    Sl if irig duo using only one channel works the same as irig pro i go for that option.

     

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    thusithag67

    Posted

    4 hours ago, CharlieOSingz said:

    Could someone confirm that you can hear your voice (live monitoring) while you sing to the Smule track???

     

    Thank you!

    CharlieOSingz

    I use an Android device and I can confirm that it is working. You can even adjust the level of volume. However, there is a slight delay which may or may not be a major concern.

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    CharlieOSingz

    Posted

    14 hours ago, thusithag67 said:

    I use an Android device and I can confirm that it is working. You can even adjust the level of volume. However, there is a slight delay which may or may not be a major concern.

    Good to know. Thanks! I don't want to deal with latency so I will do some more research.

    • like 1

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    LouELVIS

    Posted

    I also use the  I RIG MIC PRE in my set up I use the one non plug in 9v battery like it better and not extra electrical static or noise in the signal 

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    LouELVIS

    Posted

    I hear everything when i record through. my yamaha mg 82cx mixer in line with my IRIG MIC PRE with my effects processors in line monitoring through shure SH440 HEADSETS

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    Mplspitbull

    Posted

    I’ve been using the irig pre for years and it’s great. Search online and you can pick one up brand new for $30.  It also comes with the free VocaLive app. You can go in and further play with your vocals. Pitch correction duplicator etc. and it records those changes in you are seeing final cut as well

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    Lou ELVIS

    Posted (edited)

    The other nice thing is that it uses a 9 volt battery which is better than the I rig 2 which uses two double AA and does not last long at all when recording on a condenser mic I was to had problems with going through 9 volts with my original irig pre I solved this by buying a rechargeable 9 volt and a ever ready charger that was on sale now I can recharge all my batteries when needed

    Edited by Lou ELVIS
    Typo

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    Dean_UK

    Posted

    That sounds good, is there any audio interfaces better then The IRiG Pro I/o ?? my one doesn’t charge my ipad at the same time like it should but i still can see as the microphone works , but it drains my ipad it’s annoying !! smule drains ipads and phones so much compared to like youtube or facebook shame 

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